Can I edit the book once it's bound?
Yes, all machines have an edit feature which allows you to remove or insert pages. If you need to completely disassemble the document, there are cutters that can trim the spine off the document.

Can I cut a strip to a different width?
No. You must use one of the three widths available. Cutting the strip will destroy its binding capability.

Can I cut a strip to a different length?
Yes, as long as the strip is at least 6 in length. When using cut-down strips, be careful to always place the cut edge to the right as you face the machine, so that the adhesive from the cut edge does not spill onto the center of the heating platen. Note that continued binding using cut-down strips may lead to adhesive build-up on the edge of the platen.

Can I bind lengths other than 11"?
Yes. Fastback® strips come in many lengths including 8 ½", 9", 11", A4, 14", and 14 7/8".

I would like the strip to wrap more to the back than the front of my document. Can I make it do that?
Yes. See “setting the wrap”.

Can I use any kind of paper in my Fastback® Binder?
Most papers common to copy centers work well in the Fastback® binders. Adhesion problems occur if the paper fibers are not accessible to the binding strip. If an image is bled to the very edge of the sheet, the adhesive binds to the print rather than the page. To bind pages with full bleeds, see our Splitter.

My machine says it has a strip jam. What should I do?
The Fastback® 15xs and 11 binders open easily to access the strip path. Open the machine and remove the jammed strip. Be carefful: the heater is extremely hot!

Can I use tabs with the Fastback®?
Yes. Tabs work very well in the Fastback®. For best results (and the nicest books), use thin, grain-long tabs.

What should I use to clean my Fastback binder?
We recommend Icky Sticky Stuff Remover available from Powis Parker. This cleaning solution is safe and non-flammable.

Fastback® 9

How do you feed the strip into the binder?
Fold the strip and place the wide part of the strip on the bottom of the machine with the short side to the rear of the binder.

How do I bind a document or book?
Place the strip in the binder, assemble your document and place it on top of the strip. Make sure the front cover is facing the cooling rack. Push the green button. Remove the document when the machine is finished binding, and set in cooling rack.

Can I use the PowisPrinter® with the Model 9?
No, the Lx-Strip™ is incompatible with the PowisPrinter® because of its score (crease).

Can the Model 9 be used with the Foilfast® printer?
Yes, the Model 9 is fully compatible with the Foilfast® printer.

Fastback® 11

I haven't used my FB11 for a while, when I turned it on and tried to bind a book, the strip does not go in, what is happening?
The FB11 uses pressure rollers to feed the strips into the unit. Most likely, the soft material sustained a permanent indention causing feed problems. Please call your local dealer to have the roller replaced.

Can I use Medium or Wide strips on my FB11?
No. The FB11 uses narrow strips only.

Fastback® 15xs

How many versions of the Model 15 are there?
There are three versionsthe 15, 15x and 15xs. The 15xs has the greatest capabilities. It works with virtually all Powis binding strips, has a smart strip sensor, and is fully automated.

Are the Model 15 and 15x upgradeable to a 15xs?
Yes, contact your local dealer for upgrade kits.

What is the difference between a FB15x and a FB15xs?
The FB15xs has the Smart Sensor, with the ability to detect the type of strip you are binding. With the FB15x, the user must manually adjust the bind parameters according to the strip being used.

How long is the cooling time?
The cooling time is 3-5 minutes. Complete bind strength is achieved in 24 hours.

How does the strip feed in?
There is a strip feed on the side of the machine. To reduce bind time, the next strip can be inserted into the strip feed before the prior binding cycle is finished.

Can I use Super Strip-B strips in a FB15xs?
No. The Super Strip-B products are not compatible with the FB15xs.

My FB15xs has a Strip Detection Error, what is causing this?
Your smart sensor calibration may be out of specification or your smart sensor may have failed. Please call your local dealer for further assistance.

My FB15xs has a Strip Jam error on power up, what is causing this?
Your T2/T3 sensor set may be blocked or has failed. Please call your local dealer for assistance.

Fastback® 25 Binder

What is the difference between the Fastback 15xs and the Fastback 25 binder?
The Fastback 25 was specifically designed for binding glossy coated paper that has been previously prepared with the Powis Splitter. It is the best choice for binding books, such as photobooks and yearbooks, that use this type of paper. The Fastback 15xs binder is designed to bind nearly every other type of document, including office documents and books that are not printed on coated paper.

Splitter

What does the Powis Splitter do?
The Powis Splitter opens up a channel in the center of each sheet of paper, allowing the adhesive to wick up into the center of the paper. To get a good bind, the adhesive must wick up between the sheets. If the paper his not split, the adhesive that wicks up between the sheets can only attach to the coating, which can then pull away from the paper, leaving only the edge holding the pages in the book. This is why glossy paper often falls out of perfect-bound books. Because the Splitter creates a channel in the center of each sheet, it no longer matters how fragile the coating on the paper is; the adhesive is attached through the center channel.

Isnt this essentially the same as roughing, milling, or notching?
No. The roughing, milling, and notching processes create more edge surface but they do not solve the problem of the adhesives inability to wick up between the sheets. Only the Splitter offers this solution.

Why cant I use the Splitter with Fastback binders other than the 25?
Splitting paper causes a fanning at the binding edge of the paper. With the 9, 11, and 15xs binders, this fanning causes the back pages to be pushed up away from the binding edge. The Fastback 25 binder is designed to factor the fanning effect into the bind process, eliminating the problem.

Scoring Machine

What material thickness can be scored?
Generally, common paper card and cover stocks of up to at least 20 points (.02” or 50mm) in thickness. For thicker, materials, try a practice score and see how it bends. Do not try materials over 23 points thick.

Can I make one or two scores at a time?
Yes, by changing the scoring die, you can make either single or double scores in one operation. Changing the die takes less than a minute.

Why would I want to make two scores at a time?
Double scores on the front and back covers create a hinge near the spine to allow you to make perfect bound lay flat books. Also, they provide a nice cosmetic line near the spine edge on the covers.

Can I score multiple sheets at the same time?
No, you can score only one sheet at a time.

Can I bind wraparound soft covers with toner-based printing?
Absolutely. Use either our LF (lay flat) or PS (pressure sensitive) Perfectback™ strips to secure your cover to your book block. No heat is required for the final binding.

How much force should I use to make scores?
Excessive force isn’t necessary. You can try reducing the amount of force on the lever to see how much is needed to make a good score.

PowisPrinter®

What color foil cartridges are available?
Foilfast® foil cartridges are available in the following colors: Gold, Silver, Black, White, Red, Blue, and Green.

Can I use a PowisPrinter® on a network?
No. The PowisPrinter® is not network compatible.

How many strips can I print with each cartridge?
It depends on the font size and number of letters used on a title. If the font size is about 1/8", a single cartridge can print up to 390 full length strips. If the font size is 1/2", one cartridge can print as many as 100 strips.

Foilfast® Printer

Can the Foilfast® printer be used on a network?
The Foilfast® printer cannot be used across a Local Area Network. It is possible to share Foilfast® in a Peer-to-Peer network topology if the Foilfast® printer is set-up as a shared device with a unidirectional communication port.

What types of covers can I print with my Foilfast® Printer?
Foilfast® printer works with many different types of covers but results may vary. For best results, Powis Parker offers a line of Composition covers that are rich-looking and fully compatible with the Foilfast® printer.

How many covers can be printed with one foil cartridge?
It depends on the density of the graphics to be printed. Average yield for a light graphic coverage can be as high as 200 covers per cartridge. For a heavier graphics density, the cartridge yield can be as low as 30-50 covers per cartridge.

What is the difference between the Foilfast P21 and the P21x printers?
The Foilfast P21x includes a USB port, and improved electronics that conform to the RoHS standards used in Europe.

Is the Foilfast printer compatible with OSX?
Yes. The latest version of the Foilfast software is compatible with both XP and OSX.

Foilfast Title Sheets

How do I avoid adhesive build-up in my Foilfast printer when I am printing Foilfast Title sheets?
Our new Foilfast Title sheet design eliminates the old problem of adhesive build-up.

How do tell if I have the new Foilfast Title sheets or the old ones?
The new Foilfast Title sheets do not have the narrow release paper strip on the back.

What is the best way to ensure that that a Foilfast Title sheet is properly centered on a cover?
The Fastback Hardcover Guide will help you accurately align the Foilfast Title sheet to the cover.

Photobook Production Cell

How many pages can I bind?
This depends on part on the thickness of the paper. The Photobook Production Cell can bind books up to .4 (10 mm) thick.

What type of paper do I need?
The Photobook Production Cell can bind virtually any paper, but it was optimized to handle glossy coated paper.

How long will the books last?
The Fastback binding strips use a thermal plastic adhesive, which will last much, much longer than the animal glues used in traditional bookbinding. As to how long the book lasts, this depends in part on how the book is treated, but with proper care it should last a lifetime.

Do you provide the software for the photos?
No. The Photobook Production Cell is for binding only. It does not print or layout the photos.

What software do I need?
The Photobook Production Cell uses no software.

Can I use my own covers if I bind on your machine?
No. The Photobook Production Cell is designed to work with the Fastback Photobook Hardcovers, which come with adhesive panels already applied to the insides of the covers.

Do you bind the books for me?
No. We are an equipment manufacturer. If you are interested in obtaining finished books of your work, see the list of online photo services.

Studio Photobook System

How many pages can I bind?
This depends on part on the thickness of the paper. The Photobook Production Cell can bind books up to .25 (6 mm) thick.

What type of paper do I need?
The Studio Photobook system will bind virtually any type of paper. Thicker stocks, such as cover stocks, may not be flexible enough to allow for adequate book binding.

PhotoPress System

What is the difference between the PhotoPress and the other Powis photobook binding systems?
The PhotoPress is designed to bind single-sided, silver-halide photographs. The other photobook systems are designed to bind double-sided (printed) sheets.

Can the PhotoPress bind other types of prints besides silver-halide prints?
Yes. The PhotoPress can bind most single-sided prints, from dye-sub to inkjet.

Can the PhotoPress bind panoramic photos?
Yes, but you must score them in the center first.